Erik ten Hag is set to sign a five-year contract with Manchester United this summer in a decision which will not be changed regardless of club ownership.
The Dutchman’s current deal at Old Trafford lasts through until the summer of 2025 but such has been the positive impact he has made upon the club since his appointment last summer, there is unanimity that he should be given a new long-term contract through to 2028.
It comes amid the bidding process to buy United, with multiple offers to buy the club including a group led by Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and another from Britain’s richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The Glazers have pushed back their deadline to complete a sale of the club with the ownership situation at Old Trafford still unclear.
The Glazer family are exploring outside investment or a full sale of the club they bought 18 years ago. The Americans are deeply unpopular among the club's fans, with the Red Devils having gone a decade without winning the Premier League title.
Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim still haven’t met the Glazer family’s £6billion valuation - and are understood to both be more than £1billion short of the asking price being demanded. Regardless of who is in charge at Old Trafford, Ten Hag’s contractual situation is clear.
At least two of the six Glazer siblings are understood to prefer an option which would see an outside investor buy a stake in the club to help finance huge capital projects like the redevelopment of the Old Trafford stadium and Carrington training ground.
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Ten Hag has changed the mood at United this season. He inherited a club who finished sixth last season – 12 points off the top five – and with a bloated squad in a toxic atmosphere. He has transformed the situation at the club and The Sun say he will soon pen a five-year contract.
He guided United to the EFL Cup trophy in February, the club’s piece of silverware in six years, and has them sitting a respectable third in the Premier League. The Red Devils are in the last eight of the Europa League and the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
While a domestic treble alongside Champions League qualification is on the cards for United this season, there is still a lot of work to do this season and it is unlikely any new contractual announcement on Ten Hag’s situation will be confirmed before the summer.
